With the advent of superstores and warehouse-like retail stores, more and more stores are leaving their merchandise in shipping boxes for displaying the merchandise. This practice results in reduced costs to the stores because they no longer need to pay someone to unload the merchandise from the shipping boxes and arrange it on the shelves.
In response to this practice, dual-purpose boxes have been developed that can be used for both shipping and displaying goods. Generally, the boxes have a shipping mode and a display mode. For shipping, the boxes should be sturdy and completely enclose the goods to protect them against damage from dirt or impact. For displaying however, the boxes should be at least partially open so that customers can view and access the goods within. Also, for displaying, the boxes should be stackable upon one another so that stores can make the most efficient use of their shelf space and should be attractive since they will be on display.
Additionally, the boxes should be easily and quickly convertible from their shipping mode to their display mode, otherwise the advantages of dual-purpose boxes are lost. As is desirable generally in boxes, dual-purpose boxes also should be lightweight, space-efficient, easily manufacturable, and produce little waste cardboard.
Prior attempts at designing dual-purpose boxes have resulted in designs having a lid that covers an opening in the container during shipping and that can be removed from the container to expose the opening, and thus the contents of the container, for display. However, these prior attempts to achieve all the goals discussed above have been unsuccessful. For instance, Lindstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,847, Merrill, U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,829, and Sheffer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,276, each disclose a combination shipping and display box. Each of the boxes has a front opening and a cover that covers the entire top of the box and the front opening. However, removing the cover of any one of these boxes to display the contents, also removes the entire top of the box. Thus, the boxes are not suitable for stacking when configured in the display mode.
DeMott, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,360, discloses a stackable container that has a front opening for displaying and accessing the contents of the container and ledges for supporting another container on top. However, DeMott requires that a separate lid be used during shipping, thus making manufacture more difficult. Also, because DeMott's ledges are narrow, DeMott reinforces the ledges with a second side panel extending downwardly from the ledges, in effect creating a double-walled container. These double walls not only waste cardboard, but also consume valuable interior space of the container.
Also, it appears as if tape must be applied to the lid or cover of the containers in these patents to secure the lid or cover to the rest of the container once goods are loaded therein. Thus, to uncover the display opening, the tape holding down the lid or cover must be sliced or removed. Slicing the tape requires the use of a tool, such as a pocket knife, which if applied with too much pressure may cut through the cardboard to damage the goods inside. Also, removal of the tape may leave an unattractive appearance.
Another type of prior art container has a front panel with a perforated portion that is in place during shipping and that can be knocked out of the front panel to separate the perforated portion from the container to create a display opening, exposing the contents of the container. However, the perforations leave ragged and irregular edges on the opening, resulting in an unattractive, unfinished appearance.
Thus, a need exists for a container that overcomes the inadequacies of the prior containers. The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a stackable shipping and display container that is made from a minimal amount of material and that is easy to manufacture.